Mary Chudleigh
Lady Mary Lee Chudleigh (August 1656 - 1710) was an English poet and essayist, part of an intellectual circle that included Mary Astell, Elizabeth Thomas, Judith Drake, Elizabeth Elstob, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and John Norris.Sowaal, Alice. "Mary Astell." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2005) 16 December 2006 . In her later years, she published a book of poetry and two books of essays, all dealing with feminist themes; two of her books went through four editions during the last ten years of her life. Her poetry about human relationships and reactions has been anthologized ever since, and her feminist essays are still being reprinted.Gilbert, Sandra M. and Susan Gubar. "Lady Mary Chudleigh." The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The traditions in English. New York: W.W. Norton, 1996. 161. Print. Life Chudleigh was born Mary Lee, the daughter of Richard Lee of Winslade, Devonshire.Humphreys, 303. About 1665 she was married to Sir George Chudleigh of Ashton, in the neighbourhood; but the marriage was far from happy, and Lady Chudleigh found little pleasure, except in retirement and reading. Her first publication was a poem in 1701, The Ladies' Defence, in answer to a sermon on Conjugal Duty preached by Mr. Sprint. This was anonymous, but Lady Chudleigh put her initials to the epistle dedicatory. It made a stir, and was followed in 1703 by Poems on Several Occasions, dedicated to Queen Anne. Lintott desired to republish The Ladies' Defence; when Lady Chudleigh refused her consent, he issued it unknown to her. Her next work was Essays upon several Subjects, 1710, dedicated to the Electress Sophia, for which that venerable princess sent her an autographed letter of thanks in June. Lady Chudleigh died at Ashton in 1710, and was buried without monument or inscription. Lady Chudleigh left also some unpublished works. She had three children — a daughter, whose death caused her great affliction, and two sons. 'Corinna' and she corresponded, her own poetical name being 'Marissa.' Writing Essays Both essays respond to a sermon published by the minister John Sprint in 1700. The sermon makes the point that the wife's only duty is to be obedient to their husbands."Lady Mary Chudleigh." The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Traditions in English. New York: W.W. Norton, 1996, 161. Print. Chudleigh took this as an example that men's negative expectations of women perpetuated the cycle of ignorance. Believing women were capable of also holding intellectual interests but were inhibited by these low expectations, she asked men why they blamed women for their state of weakness—when that is how men trained women to be. Her essays advocate for increased education for women, and call attention to the psychological abuses that often happened when women, if as totally obedient as Sprint advised, were little more than servants within the family."Lady Mary Chudleigh Biography," Famous Poets and Poems. Web, Dec. 16, 2006. . Poetry The primary subject in her poetry is the joys of friendship between women, when that friendship is based on shared morals and shared intellectual pursuits, although there are poems on various other topics. Recognition Posthumous editions of her Poems were issued in 1713 and 1722, and selections from this work, along with The Ladies' Defence, were reprinted in Poems of Eminent Ladies, 1755. Publications Poetry *''The Ladies Defence; or, The bride-woman's counsellor answered: A poem, in a dialogue Between Sir John Brute, Sir William Loveall, Melissa, and a parson''. London: John Deeve, 1701; London: D.L. for Bernard Lintott, 1709. * Poems on Several Occasions; together with The song of the three children paraphras'd. London: W.B., for Bernard Lintott, 1703. Non-fiction *''The Female Preacher: Being an answer to a late rude and scandalous wedding-sermon''. London: H. Hills, 1699. Collected editions * Essays Upon Several Subjects: In prose and verse. London: T.H., for R. Bonwicke / W. Freeman / T. Goodwin / et al, 1710. * Poems and Prose (edited by Margaret J.M. Ezell). Oxford, UK, & New York: Oxford University Press, 1993. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = Mary Chudleigh, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, May 10, 2016. See also * List of British poets References * George Ballard, Memoirs of Several Ladies of Great Britain who have been Celebrated for their Writings or Skill in the Learned Languages, Arts and Sciences, ed. Ruth Perry (Detroit: Wayne State Univ. Press, 1985).Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006 . * Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: The Traditions in English, Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, eds. * The First Feminists: British Women Writers, Moira Fergusson, ed., (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985).Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006 . * Eighteenth-Century Women Poets: An Oxford Anthology, Roger Lonsdale, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 1989).Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006. * British Literature: An Anthology, Robert DeMaria, Jr., ed. (London: Blackwell, 1996).Ezell, Margaret J. M. "Selected Bibliography: Mary, Lady Chudleigh)." c18 Bibliographies On-Line. Ed. Jack Lynch. Rutgers, 1999. 16 December 2006 . * External links ;Poems * Selected Poetry of Lady Mary Chudleigh (1656-1710) (1 poem) at Representative Poetry Online *"To Mr. Dryden: On his excellent translation of Virgil" * Lady Mary Chudleigh 1656-1710 at the Poetry Foundation *Chudleigh in A Book of Women's Verse: "Solitude," Song: "Why, Damon, why, why, why so pressing?" * Lady Mary Chudleigh at PoemHunter (4 poems) *Lady Mary Chudleigh at Poetry Nook (4 poems) ;Prose *Essays by Mary Chudleigh at Quotidiana.org ;Audio / video *Mary Chudleigh poems at YouTube ;About * Lady Mary Chudleigh (1656-1710) at English Poetry, 1579-1830 * Chudleigh, Mary Category:1656 births Category:1710 deaths Category:Feminist studies scholars Category:Feminist writers Category:English women writers Category:English poets Category:18th-century women writers Category:Women poets Category:Feminism and history Category:18th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets